Bohol Province: Chocolate Hills, Tarsiers, and a Coral-Reef Coast

Bohol Province consists of 49 local government units (48 municipalities and 1 component city — Tagbilaran), covering 4,821 square kilometres including its offshore islands. The population stands at approximately 1.4 million as of the 2020 PSA census. The province is divided into three congressional districts. Positioned in the Bohol Sea, it is separated from Cebu by the Cebu Strait, a fast ferry transit of approximately two hours. The administrative territory is structured around a single main landmass, Bohol Island (4,117 km²), surrounded by a ring of smaller offshore islands including Panglao, Balicasag, Cabilao, Pamilacan, Hingotanan, and Lapinig.

What brings people here

Four distinct geographical areas define the provincial draw. First is the karst interior, specifically Carmen and Sagbayan, which holds the Chocolate Hills formation. Second is the upland forest fringe across Corella and Carlos P. Garcia, home to the Philippine tarsier population. Third is the historic southwest coastal plain and river valley extending through Loboc, Baclayon, Dimiao, Loay, and Maribojoc, which holds the Loboc River and a circuit of Spanish-era heritage churches. Finally, the offshore diving and coastal areas center on Panglao Island’s Alona Beach, the Balicasag Island wall dive, and the dolphin and whale-watching grounds near Pamilacan Island.

The three congressional districts

District I covers the southwest coast and Tagbilaran hinterland. It includes Tagbilaran City, Alburquerque, Baclayon, Balilihan, Corella, Cortes, Dauis, Dimiao, Garcia Hernandez, Lila, Loay, Loboc, Maribojoc, Panglao, Sevilla, Sikatuna, and Valencia.

District II encompasses the northwest coast and interior. The municipalities are Antequera, Batuan, Bilar, Buenavista, Calape, Catigbian, Clarin, Getafe, Inabanga, Loon, Malinao, Sagbayan, San Isidro, San Miguel, and Tubigon.

District III spans the north and east coast. It consists of Alicia, Anda, Bien Unido, Candijay, Carmen, Dagohoy, Danao, Duero, Guindulman, Jagna, Mabini, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, Sierra Bullones, Talibon, Trinidad, and Ubay.

Getting to Bohol

By air: Tagbilaran Airport (IATA: TAG) has a main runway handling Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines turboprop and jet services from Manila (approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes) and Mactan-Cebu (approximately 30 minutes). The new Bohol-Panglao International Airport (BPH) opened in 2018 in Panglao. It handles domestic services; check current airline coverage before routing arrivals there.

By sea from Cebu City: OceanJet and SuperCat fast craft operate from Pier 1 Cebu to Tagbilaran Seaport, taking approximately two hours. Several RORO operators, including Trans-Asia Shipping and Lite Shipping, run overnight or daytime slow-ferry service. Fast craft fares are approximately PHP 250 to 380 one-way, based on 2026 reference rates (confirm current rates before travel).

Getting around the province

Tagbilaran is the hub for outbound transport. Dao Transit vans serve Carmen and the Chocolate Hills, Bilar, and the east coast. Aliga buses cover the north coast. For Panglao and Dauis, jeepneys and multicabs depart from the city centre and cross the causeway. Habal-habal (motorcycle taxis) are the practical mode for the last-mile transport to rural barangays and trailheads. Tricycles operate as intra-town transport in Tagbilaran and each municipal centre.

Historical and conservation context

The Dagohoy Rebellion (1744–1829) is a defining period in Boholano history. Francisco Dagohoy of Inabanga led what became the longest revolt against Spanish colonial rule in Philippine history, lasting 85 years across the island’s interior mountains. At its peak, the rebellion sheltered more than 20,000 people in the mountainous interior. The Spanish colonial administration never succeeded in fully suppressing it; the revolt ended only through a general amnesty offered under Governor-General Marcelino de Oraá.

In terms of environmental management, Corella’s Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary highlights a shift in conservation practices. Carlito syrichta is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The 167-hectare sanctuary in Corella operates a no-flash, low-noise protocol, in contrast to earlier commercial captive-display operations that caused measurable harm to the animals (tarsiers are prone to stress-induced death when handled or exposed to sustained flash photography). The Bohol-based conservation model — sanctuary viewing, not handling — is now referenced in regional wildlife management guidelines.